Category: Blog

I was going to combine this with yesterday's post, but decided to do it separately. My apologies, another restaurant post is upcoming.

 
So what's with the photo of Sear's Essential's on the corner of Convoy and Clairemont Mesa? If you recall, this was also K-Mart….. Well, multiple sources have told me that Zion Market is moving here. Which is great news if you've ever gone during peak hours…the parking, aggressive customers….there was always the "bloodbath" potential. This is a good move for the market as I'd heard rumors of a large Korean supermarket like H Mart coming down to San Diego for a couple of years. The space is huge, so I won't be surprised if there'll be a mandu shop and a couple other food vendors in the store. I also won't have to drive as far when making my weekend morning shopping rounds……

7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

As for the (not so) New Ambassador of Taco Trucks in Yuma, you know who that would be, right? Anyway, check out this article from the Arizona Republic.

Anyway, I thought I'd leave you with what must be the ultimate "all-Asia" restaurant. I had an appointment in La Mesa and saw the sign and couldn't help stopping and taking some photos.

Amazing, Sushi, Dim Sum, and Thai Food!

But like the infomercial says…..that's not all.

Let's not forget "American" food…….

 I guess this sign sums it up……

And no, I didn't stop and eat. I might though, if anyone can recommend anything that's NOT Sushi here……well, make that might……

It was indeed quite gloomy enough today; dark angry clouds hovering above, leaves thrashing about due to the wind.

 

Things didn't get better when I received a text from Candice delivering some very sad news….. San Diego's most respected and perhaps feared food critic Naomi Wise had passed away. In shock, I quickly accessed the Reader's Food Blog and  found out that it was true. I must admit I felt quite sad……it's not that I really know Naomi or anything, over the years we've exchanged emails, going back to when I first moved to San Diego, and she always took the time to reply. I only met her once, but I'll never forget it. For someone who managed her anonymity to near perfection, she was quite a character, witty, with a tongue as sharp as her pen. In a world where it's getting to be more about a "personality" than food, she could weave a story while keeping us interested in the restaurant she was writing about. All the while she understood the food critic's separation of church and state, something which I have always tried to do, but without as much success as she(luckily, I'm just an eater!). She was a "real" writer, able to convey the sights, sounds, tastes, and ideas, from a wide range of eating, cooking, and travelling experience, in an entertaining format.

I'm not sure you know this, as I really try to keep it separate from the blog, but on occasion I write a column for the Reader. Naomi was instrumental in both broaching the question, which I faintly remember, and getting me to accept when I was stunned to receive an offer from the Reader. At first I was worried that Naomi was being pushed aside, that someone was doing an "end run", having seen this done many times in my career I made sure to contact her, but she reassured me:

"When we were at dinner, we briefly discussed my idea to have you write something that would run occasionally in the Reader. It was obviously an idea whose time had come."

When I mentioned that I wasn't a "real writer", nor did I consider my self one….I always say, "I'm an eater not a writer." She fired back quickly:

"Everybody there already knows that, but your prose is plain, simple, grammatical. That's all we want. But don't forget there has to be a story."

"But don't forget there has to be a story……."

That phrase came to mind as I watched the fast moving clouds passing overhead. I'm truly hoping that Naomi's spirit has retired to the place she wished, Chiang Mai…with occasional side trips to the sandy beaches of Phuket.

Thanks so much for spending those few hours with us Naomi, as well as all the encouraging emails.  The San Diego food scene is much better because of you……

Rest in Peace.

Yes, I know, it's usually "eating with friends" or something close to that. But man, I've had some great meals, fun times,  and have gotten to know some really great people. A couple of months back, i had the opportunity to be a guest at another of those amazing meals, and guess what? Lucky me, my friend's mom invited me over again! The Missus had to work, and Peter's brother John couldn't make it….but I sure as heck wasn't going to miss a chance like this one! This time it was more intimate, Peter and his lovely wife Angela, Van, and the wonderful cook that is their mom!

She had mentioning having me sample a few special dishes from her upbringing in Northern Vietnam and I was honored to have been able to…well eat more than my fair share of these wonderful dishes.

The first dish featured pig's feet one of my favorite's and you can follow along as it was put together before my eyes:

 

Man, don't you just want to jump in? Well, not so soon……

 

You have to wait for the shredded banana blossom….ok, ready now?  Nope, they'll be no jumping the gun on this one.

 

I've had Gia Cay (Fake Dogmeat Stew) before, but it was never quite as rich and delicious…..the term "stick to your ribs" was made for this dish.

Next up was the flavorful Pho Xao Don or Pan Fried Pho, the rice noodles are combination of crisp and yet chewy…..that wonderful textural contrast that I love. Never had this one before.

 

The Xoi Ga was wonderful, Sweet-Sticky rice with chicken!

 

I loved the Thit Bo Ham Kieu Hanoi – Spicy Beef Stew-Hanoi style…..though Peter did catch a bit of heat for purchasing the wrong kind of baguette for dipping, I wasn't complaining.

 

 And while we were working on the two growlers of beer from Ballast Point, even more food started coming out. She even recalled how I enjoyed the silkworms so she made sure to have some on hand….you know, I have the feeling that if it wasn't a weeknight, I'd still be there now! Peter later told me that he didn't ever recall having those dishes before. All I can say is that it was a fantastic and memorable meal and the company made it unforgettable.

Thanks again for an amazing meal!

I know this is rather late, but I also need to mention that our very good FOY (friend of yoso) "Chef" Yummy Yummy invited us over for Bun Rieu night back in July. Unfortunately, while all the other "Grazers" (more on this later) could make it, the Missus and I couldn't. The ever so thoughtful "YY" sent me a text telling me she had saved some Bun rieu for us and the next day I picked up a very neatly packed package with two containers of Bun Rieu and all the fixins'.

 

 

She had packed everything down to the limes! It ended up being two meals for us!

 

 The Missus loved it…..which says a lot! And life is so much better with friends who love to eat as much as you do. Right?

Sorry I took so long to post this YY…..thanks again for being so thoughtful!

Just a couple of things I noticed……..

Koon Thai Kitchen:

Is opening in the old Curry House spot:

 

Insert joke about yet another Thai restaurant here…… Seriously, San Diego can always use another "good" Thai Restaurant. I don't think we need another Americanized, dumbed down, Thai restaurant. I'm wondering what this will be?

Imperial Mandarin moves…. sort of:

Right before leaving for Turkey and Greece, I noticed the sign for Imperial Mandarin was taken down. I thought that perhaps the long time Convoy restaurant had closed down. After returning from vacation, I took a drive down Convoy and noticed that Imperial Mandarin had simply given up the space for the larger half of the restaurant and is still around.

 

I've never been a big fan of Imperial Mandarin, but I'll admit a twinge of sadness when I believed the place had closed.

An interesting coincidence (I think):

Driving past Halmouny, I noticed that the location that was the original location and became the catering/panchan outlet when the restaurant moved next door had become something called…..

 
Sushi, Roll Depot. Depot? Doesn't depot mean something along the lines of a storage facility or transit station? I'm not sure about you, but I'm not really keen on eating sushi from a depot. Turns out that the folks involved with Halmouny is trying to get into the sushi business.

And just by coincidenceI drove up to Plaza del Sol to see what was going on with Nam An (it's still not open),, and noticed that Dokdo; a "Hwe", Korean sushi/sashimi restaurant (one day I'll do a post on the Hwe Dop Bop), was now advertising…..

 

"Convoy Tofu"…… So Grandmother's Tofu is serving sushi and Dokdo Sushi is serving Soon Doufu? Hmmmm…..

Just a couple of things I noticed this week.

Yu Me Ya Sake House:

Since my office is no longer located in Hillcrest; I'm not in that area much anymore. But I happened to be in the area earlier this week. Paul Jameson had mentioned signage for Yu Me Ya Sake House popped up in the old Ramesses (3882  4th Avenue) location in his Sd Urban blog. And driving by, I saw the sign……

 

Nam An Restaurant:

There's some interesting happenings in the Plaza Del Sol (4690 Convoy) strip mall…… a couple of months ago, I mentioned the sign for something called Dancing Crab. A few weeks ago, FOY (Friend of Yoso) Yummy Yummy mentioned that the location had changed hands again and was going to be something else…… and behold; it's now going to be Nam An Restaurant…. a Vietnamese Restaurant. I'm hoping it'll not be the typical Pho' or Mi joint, we've got enough of those.

 I hope everyone had a great Saturday and got some welcome sunshine!

After a hiatus of over fours years, the Missus has decided it was time for another post….. so here goes…..

This is a post for my husband on his birthday, Kirk, the man behind the blog…
 
Those of you that read the blog from the beginning know that I only posted once  and it is a post  about my childhood experience in China. Needless to say, I only post what is precious and dear to my heart. 
  
First of all, I want to thank you for being my best friend. The most prominent moment was when we sitting by the shores of Mekong river after the walking tour of Vientiane designed by the "Lonely Planet" ( on this note, I appreciate you put up with my gruelling schedule during our travel. I  know it is not easy to follow the city tour and end up eating at the crappy Vietnamese sandwich in near 100 degree humidity air in Laos, or landing in china at 10pm the night before and then hike the 10k Great wall the next day) all tired and drained, watching the river rolling by and the sun setting in the hazy southeast Asia sky. Sitting on the mat trying hard to get comfortable  and drinking our first Beer Lao, the air filled with the smell of trash burning and falling in love with Laos. That is the moment I know that you are truly my best friend. Of course it is also about every day when I get back home from work, regardless of the time, I want to wake you up and tell you all about my day and you always listen patiently. I don't know how you do it but I dare you ever do that to me…

 

 
Second of all, I want to thank you for being so adventurous and together we enjoyed what different  cultures have to offer, through food and travel. I'm always  surprised and a little sad to hear that my friends have never had Peking duck or pho or dim sum or truffle oil on fries. We may not like everything we ate but we always give it a honest try. We meet so many wonderful people and through foods we understand the culture and the people just a little more… It also makes me realize that we are more alike than different. Yes, we may speak different a language and use different utensils but at the end, love always come through the foods they make. Food is life, love food, love life… and  I hope I am becoming a better person because of this. I learned compassion and tolerance through the years and start to see life through a entirely different angle.

 

 
Last but not least, I want to thank you for being a great dad to our boyz and gr eat son-in-law for my  parents and cousin and nephew for my family. We have no regrets with my boys. They may have been born in puppy mills but we give them the best life we know how to offer to them. And I know if they can talk they would definitely say to you " I love you daddy." My parents love you and you are deemed the golden standard son-in-law by my aunts. Even though the only chinese you know how  to say is "let's eat, thank you, and I'm so full I'm going to die", they love you cause you love and appreciated the foods they made and they made everything with love… The kind of love that come through multiple generations cause cooking is passed from generation to generation. When my aunt made the Sausage it is like my grandma making it for you just like she made for us years ago.

 

Those of you that read this far, make no mistake of thinking our life is perfect. There are ups and downs just like everyone else. But as a whole, I would marry you all over again. Thanks again for everything.
 
Happy Birthday.

 

Man are we overdue for a vacation….. well a sort of vacation. Anyway, we're off in a couple of days.

We haven't made too many concrete plans. We're leaving that in other hands for some of this trip. I hope I'll have some yummy posts for you all.

As always, I'm leaving things in Cathy's care while we're gone.

Thanks for reading, and see you in a bit! 

Just some odds and ends for Saturday…..

Perry's has reopened:

I noticed this a day ago, and snapped a photo:

I know of a bunch of folks who have been waiting for Perry's to reopen. 

Cali Cafe – not quite ready:

A few days ago, I just needed to get out of the office…. you know, one of those days. I decided to take a walk, and after reading that Cali Cafe had opened on SD Urban, I figured that a Banh Mi would be just the perfect lunch.  

I recall receiving some marketing stuff in my in-box about a year ago, telling me how Cali Deli was going to revolutionize Banh Mi, etc…. So I was excited to see just what this was all about.

Unfortunately, even though the place has been open for a couple of weeks, the young man working told me that they just had coffee drinks….. no sandwiches. He called it a "soft opening". To be open, say three weeks with no sandwiches…. I think I'd call this a "soft" opening…..

I asked the young man a couple of questions, and was told that getting the bread "right" is the current problem. I dunno about you, but if I'm opening a sandwich shop, getting my "bread right" would be one of those things you try to do before opening. But hey, I'm no expert, so perhaps they will come up with something great, I hope so. Other than that, the very pleasant young man really didn't know much about Banh Mi, rice flour, what the term "Dac Biet" meant. But he did give me a handy-dandy menu….. I think the sandwiches and the prices speak louder than words.

Disappointed, I noticed that a Pho shop is opening across the street:

Unfortunately, they weren't open yet as well. I did get a look at the posted menu, which had the usual suspects; Pho, Bun, and Com (rice dishes). The Pho will run $6.25 for a regular, and $7.25 for a large. Even with the "Hillcrest surcharge", this ain't that bad.

I ended up getting a Gyro Sandwich at an old, and inexpensive standby Alexis….. $4.25…..

While eating I overheard talking about sushi…….. one of the women exclaimed loudly, "oh, oh… I looove Kinky Sushi!" The other exclaimed even louder, "yes, yes, kinky sushi is the bomb!" Choking on my tzatziki was not a pleasant experience…. let me tell you that much. This is what came immediately to mind. But I think…. or hope this is what they were talking about:

I think…..

I noticed one last thing. Chow Noodlehouse is now something called Bangkok Bistro….

That's it for now…….

Have a great weekend!

Just some small bites for this Saturday.

Chin's on Convoy opens (finally):

A few days back FOY Candice sent me a text (I'm good at receiving, but not very good at sending for some reason) letting me know that Chin's on Convoy had finally opened.

 

  When we dropped by this morning, it was evident that this was a "soft opening". We could tell that Chin's was open by the little "open" sign blinking on the parking lot door. I'll be doing a post next week.

I just thought you'd like to know that the official grand opening is scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, February 28th!

Chin's
4433 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

LV Sandwiches closes, to be replaced by Toan Ky Restaurant:

We thought LV Sandwiches made pretty good Banh Mi, but the shop was always empty. Recently, the Missus called me and told me they were gone. Driving through the parking lot, I noticed that they are being replaced by Toan Ky Restaurant.

 
Sad…….

6925 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

The future of Hal Mu Ni:

We've been eating at Hal Mu Ni quite often recently. Often enough to be told that Hal Mu Ni will eventually be moving next door and taking the spot that was previously occupied by Kabul Market.

 

I'm guessing the place will look more like a restaurant, than a converted fast-food joint.

Hal Mu Ni Soon Dubu
4425 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!